Electric railway



(NoMoael.)

R. M. HUNTER.

l ELECTRIC RALWAY. No. 884,912. l Patented June 19, 1888.

N. PETERS. mawuuwmpher. wzmmmm n C description.

. UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE..

RUDOLPH n. HUNTER, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA..

rati-:orale` RAILWAY.

. l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,912, dated.Tune 19, 1888.

Original application filed January 20, 1888, Serial No. 261,402. Dividcdand this application filed May 8, 1858. Serial No. 273,207.`

(No niodel.)

To @ZZ whom i may concern,.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of lennsylvania, have invented an ImprovementiuElectric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference .to electric rail` ways; and it consists ofcertain improvements, which are fullyset forth in thefollowiugspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which forni partthereof.

I This is a division of my application No. 261,402, tiled January 20,1888.

My finvention has particular reference to electrically-propelled ears orother Vehicles in which the source of energy is carried upon the car inthe` form of batteries of any suitable Those which I prefer to use areknown as secondary batteries or accumulators, but this invention,broadly considered, is not so limited. In practicel couple the motorsand batteries in either of two systems, one of which contemplates thecouplingof the batteries in different orders or connections, so as tomodify their relative connections, as more fully hereinafter setout.,and the otherof which contemplates the use of the batteries inseries and to simply modify the connections with the coils on themotors, leav ing the connections of the batteries per se always thesame. There may be a combination of these two methods of regulation,ifdesired; but it is not found necessary in practice. The former ofthesemethods is 'carried out in the construction formingthesubjectmatter ofthis application. y l

In carrying out my invention there are scveral ways in which thebatteries may be coupled, viz: The cells may all be connected in seriesand one cell at a time cut out or into circuit, or the cells may all becoupled from series connection to multiple connection, or a combinationof these two. It is also evident that many other combinations arepossible; but these will suffice to make my invention clear.

The battery-cells are preferably placed underJthe seats in compartmentsand supported by the car'body on springs. The regulator is arrangedwithin operative position of the operator on the front platform or otherequivalent operative position. The lnotor is preferably supported by theaxle and independent of the car-body, though this is not absolutelynecessary. However, in praeticeI have found it preferable.Circuitscounect with the battery-cells and lead the `current) to ,theregulator, and thence tothe motor, and it is desirable to make suchcircuits practically fixed upon the car and preferably under thedoorlevel, yet high up from the ground or roadbed. The batteries orcells are arranged above the floor-level, and may connect with thesecircuits Iautomatically while being placed within the compartment. r l

I do notlimit myself to mere details of construction, as it is evidentthat they may be modified in various ways withoutin the least departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a planview showing one method of couplingupbattcries on a car embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of a street-ear on line :r m ot' Fig. 4, showing thearrangementof motor, batteries, regulator, and 'circuits on the car. Fig. 3 is ageneral viewshowingeon-` struction of one form of regulator and con'neetions with batteries and motor. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of anelectric car on line y yof Fig. 2, and Fig. 5is across sectionof`my`regu lator, shown in Fig. 3 on line z z. i

A represents the batteries or cells, which gmay be of any construction,size, or shape;

but the type of battery preferred is what is known as the secondarybattery7 or electrie-al accumulator. These batteries are preferablyarranged in line in any numbers found desirable for the purpose, and maybe placed in the compartments C under the seats S of the car B, andwhich compartments may be provided with doors c, as shown in Fig. 4.

The car body is provided with the usual front or operators platform, b,and is also supported upon the truck M by springs N in any of thewell-known manners. l

D is the electric motor, which is preferably supported by the axles andindependently of car-body. By this means the car-body, with its load ofbatteries,may rise and fall,and without jarring the batteries, while thecar runs IOO over irregular places in the road-bed, and, furthermore,the same bearing which supports the ear-body is made to support thebatteries also.

E is the motor-circuit, which con neets the motor D With the regulator Fupon the'front platform, and a circuit-reverser, P, may be used toreverse the current in the armature to reverse the motor.

G are theV batterycircuits, which connect the different cells with theregulator F. This regulator may be constructed in various ways, the formshown in Fig. 3 being, perhaps, the most desirable. In this case theterminals from the various batteries end in 'contactbrushes g, whichwork in contact nwith a cylinder, Fi, having its surface covered byconductingsections K and L, or combinations oi these. The sections Kcouple the batteries in multiple for a current of large volume and smallelectro-motive force, while sections L couple the batteries in seriesfor smaller volume .of current but high electro-motive force.

There are six sets of sections shown, viz: first, coupling batteries inmultiple for large volume and small electro-motive force; second, incoupling batteries partin multiple and part in series for smallercurrent and higher elecl tro-motive force; third, same as second, only Ya seale,f, what connection is made. position this regulator cuts themotor entirely for still smaller current' and higher electromotiveforce; fourth, coupling batteries all in series for still smallercurrent but higher electro-motive force; fifth, coupling batteries inseries with three cells cut out, reducing power of battery; and, sixth,same as fifth with tive cells cut out. Y

Continuous strips I and J are arranged on the respective ends forcontact with the extreme positive and negative brushes g, and also forcontact with the motorveircuit E by brushes e. This regulator issecurely located within an insulated chamber or box, F', to be out ofdanger and to protect persons from contact with it, and an insulatedhandle, H, and pointer h are used to rotateitand indicate upon out ofcircuit, and at the same time cuts the batteries out of circuit also.

The circuits G and E are preferably arranged close up to the bottom ofthe car to be ont of the way, (sce Figs. 2and 4,) and the batteriesshould be made with contacts T to automatically couple with the circuitsG by the mere act of inserting them on the car.

The motor is preferably on the rear axle, and hence the circuits G E arelooped, or forwardY and return circuits, and the circuit E must haveflexibility or equivalent connection to allow the carbody to rise andfall without breaking its continuity.

At one Y Any matters herein set out but not claimed are not dedicated tothe public, but form subject-matterofotherapplications. Forinstance, thebroad invention of batteries on the car with a regulator to vary thepower of the batteries by coupling them in different ways or cutting outpart of the batteries forms snbject-matter of my application No.261,402, of 1888, of which this is a division. Neither do I claim thearrangement of the batteries over the Wheels in compartments on the car,nor such batteries maderrremovable, with provision for automaticallycoupling them up upon inserting them in position on the car, as thesematters form subject-matter of my applications No. 271,923 and 272,123,of 1888.

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire tosecure` by Letters Patent, isp 1. The combination of a car-body havingcompartments under its seats for batteries, a series of batteriesarranged upon the car above the fioorlevel, a regulator to modify thecoupling up of said batteries, arranged within reach of the operatorupon vthe front platform, an electric motor to propel the car, and aseries of circuits leading from the batteries to the regulator,arrangedbelow and close to thefloor of the car-body.

2. The combination of a car-body having compartments for electricbatteries, a series of removable batteries, a motor to propel the car,electric circuits fixed below and close to the carbody for coupling upthe motor with the batteries, a regulator arranged in said eir cuit, anddetachable connections between the circuits and batteries.

8. The combinationL of a car-body of an electric car supported upon thetruck by springs, with freedom of vertical movement, a series ofremovable batteries on the car-body, an electric motor under the carbody and connected with the axle of the car, a regulator for the motoron the front platform of the car, and with freedom of vertical movementwith Yrespect to the motor, and a'looped circuit or circuits fixed tothe car, extending from the batteries forward to the regulator, and thenback to the motor, with capability of allowing RUDOLPH M. HUNTER.

Witnesses: Y

E. M. BRECKINREED, ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER.

ICO

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